The Mending Heart
by shakeitsalome
Summary: Despite the odds he captured her heart. Now on the verge of achieving his greatest desire, he finds himself losing everything. Is his love enough to help her pull through? Wade Barrett/OC – Sequel to The Heart's Betrayal.


Prologue

The waiting room was close enough to the Emergency Department to get an idea of the busyness, but the droning voices were a dull hum to the current occupants. Each time an announcement came over the speaker tucked into the ceiling, heads swiveled up, seeking answers. Each time a doctor or nurse rushed past, eyes followed them, wondering. And each time, they were left to wonder and pray.

Three hours. Stu Bennett looked at the clock on the wall in disbelief. Three hours had passed since he had arrived. Turning, he paced the room again, bracing his hand on the frame of the doorway. The hallway was bright, white, and sanitary. The tile floor gleamed. On the wall opposite was a poster advertising an upcoming literacy event for the nearby Children's Hospital. It was vivid, practically screaming with cheer. And he hated it.

Stu released the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. His gaze moved down the empty hallway to the double doors. She was behind those doors. They had taken her back as soon as they'd seen her. A nurse had promised someone would keep him updated. Aside from an old, exhausted-looking man coming by to mop the blood from the floor, no one that worked for the hospital had spoken to him. Desperate for answers, even the tiniest update, he was about to hunt down a nurse when a voice behind him stopped him.

"She's gonna be alright."

He'd almost forgotten the Irishman's presence. Stephen had been the first and only person he'd called. He didn't have the heart to call anyone else. He knew he should, but...

Stu collapsed in the nearby chair, burying his face in his hands. "It wasn't supposed to happen this way."

"Things happen, yeh can't control the world around yeh."

"I figured it would be the middle of the night, y'know? Like in a movie." Stu released a mirthless chuckle. "I'd be asleep and she'd start shaking me, telling me it was time. Things would be crazy and hectic and I'd drop her bag a dozen times while running out to start the car. Get so turned around that I'd leave without her. And we could have a good laugh about it all later. Not... Not like this." His head ached and he slid one hand up to rest over the lump that had formed. A triage nurse had fussed over him but he couldn't remember what she had said, so worried she could have told him he'd fractured his skull and he wouldn't have noticed. "Not in the afternoon because I was so bloody busy arguing with her I didn't see the other car coming straight for us."

He looked across the waiting room to the couple that had gathered with their teenaged daughter. The family of the man driving the car that had slammed head-on into his at a high rate of speed. He knew they were hurting, just as he was. They were waiting for news, just as he. But he could find no sympathy for them. Nor for their son and brother, the man who had careened towards his car at a high rate of speed.

He closed his eyes, the screech of tires ringing in his mind. The startled cry from Vanessa was an echo, as was the crunching metal and shattering glass. Idly he reached to clutch his right bicep, her touch lingering. A breath stuttered from his chest as he recalled the limp arm that dropped to her side, the awkward angle of her neck. Beneath his hand, which had reached out to hold onto her just before the collision, their unborn child had stopped moving.

It wasn't until he was being forced from the car that he realized the scream of terror was his.

"Stu." A hand landed on his shoulder, startling him.

Stu opened his eyes and found his friend crouched in front of him. He dropped his gaze, staring at the gold band on his finger. The band she'd placed there. He had to remove it for matches and each night she was the one to replace it. Brushing his thumb over it, he watched the light glint, heart breaking anew at the thought of never having her slide it onto his finger. Tears blurred his vision as his thoughts ran rampant. In just over three years she had become such a mainstay in his life that he knew he wouldn't be able to move on without her. Taking a deep breath, he whispered, "I can't lose her, mate. We're supposed to live happily ever after."

"Ah know." Stephen nodded, knowing no words he could offer would comfort his friend. Remaining silent now, he looked up when he heard approaching footsteps.

Stu was on his feet in an instant. The doctor met his gaze and quickly looked away. His heart plummeted. Finding it difficult to breathe, he lowered himself to the chair once more. "How are they?"

"If you'll come with me, so we can speak privately, Mr—"

The clinical tone, coupled with the hand on his shoulder, brought tears to his eyes. The past two years of his life began to flash in his mind and he clung to the memories, knowing in his heart that he would not be able to hold Vanessa again. Or their child.

**A/N – Surprise! I told you all that I'd pick these two up again. A super-sized thank-you to Jojo and Amber, without whom I would have given up this writing thing months ago. I know you two love Stu & Vanessa as much as I do, and hope you're both as excited as I am at continuing their story. For any new readers that check this out, reading Heart's Betrayal might be a good idea. Hope you enjoy! :)**


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